When Ally offered a glimpse of young people who are making their own way in politics, I felt renewed hope. Evidently some young people are writing some of their own rules along the way, now, and, discarding some of the less genuine traditions of their party's politics and procedures. But, they are not bowing out of politics - in fact, they are jumping in with both feet. This helps me to imagine a better nation.

So, where do I stand?

Reading those four posts raise many questions. The political parties, the modern candidates and the media have used terms, words and definitions to encapsulate Americans somewhere along political spectrums.

Right, left. Conservative, liberal. Pro-business, pro-union. Republican, Democrat.

So, where do I stand? That question is leading me on a search for definitions.

Right off the bat though, I feel like a round peg in a square hole. I don't see myself on a spectrum and I found somebody that explained it to me. George Lakoff succinctly agreed with me that I'm not on that spectrum that the political world wants to put me on.

He believes that Americans are progressive, in the main, and that progressivism is essentially the American value.

George dispels the linear spectrum myth and gives a realistic explanation of what Americans are. Here, I share some of his words with you:

"Centrism" is the creation of an inaccurate self-serving metaphor, and it is time to bury it.

There is no left to right linear spectrum in the American political life. There are two systems of values and modes of thought -- call them progressive and conservative (or nurturant and strict, as I have). There are total progressives, who use a progressive mode of thought on all issues. And total conservatives. And there are lots of folks who are what I've called "biconceptuals": progressive on certain issue areas and conservative on others. But they don't form a linear scale. They are all over the place: progressive on domestic policy, conservative on foreign policy; conservative on economic policy, progressive on foreign policy and social issues; conservative on religion, but progressive on social issues and foreign policy; and on and on. No linear scale. No single set of values defining a "center." Indeed many of such folks are not moderate in their views; they can be quite passionate about both their progressive and conservative views...

Get rid of the very idea of the right and the left and the center. American ideas are fundamentally progressive ideas -- the ideas this country was founded on and that carry forth that spirit. Progressives care about people and the earth, and act with responsibility and strength on that care.

The progressive view of government is simple. Progressive government has two aspects: protection and empowerment. Protection is far more than the military, police, and fire departments. It includes consumer protection, worker protection, environmental protection, public health, food and drug safety; social security, and other safety nets. It also includes protection from the government itself, and hence a balance of powers, openness, fundamental rights, and so on.

Empowerment include roads and bridges; public education; government-developed communications like the internet and satellite communications systems; the banking system; the SEC and institutions that make a stock market possible, and the court system, mostly about contracts and corporate law. Progressive government makes business possible. No one makes any money in this country without the progressive empowerment by government. A progressive foreign policy is not based solely, or even mainly, on the state -- about the "national interest" defined as our military strength and GDP. Progressive foreign policy focuses on individual people's interests as well as national interests: on poverty, disease, refugees, education, women's and children's issues, public health, and so on.

These are simply American values. The progressive movement is a patriotic American movement. People who call themselves "centrists" share progressive views on important issue areas, but have conservative views on other major issue areas. The areas vary from person to person. There is no single moral perspective, no single set of agreed upon issues.

The very idea that there is a "center" marginalizes progressives, and sees them as extremists, when they simply share fundamental American values. The term "center" suggests there is a "mainstream" where most people are and that there is a single set of views held by that mainstream. That is false.

The media has it wrong when describing politics as left, right or middle.

Politics aren't linear! People vote for issues, not left, right, or middle.

People don't lean. People think. People care about issues.

Politics have nothing to do with pendulums or swinging pendulums.

Nope. Politics are not linear nor directional.

Beware of candidates that describe themselves as centrists! So called centrist politicians may not have any opinions, stances or ideas. They may have nothing to offer but fluff.

Americans aren't centrists, and the last thing we need is centrist politics.

As for me, give me progressive values and solutions to the real issues of our day. If you do, you'll have my vote, my loyalty, my money, and my complete attention.

Check these posts out here, here, here, here and here. All make for good reading!

For more, you may be interested in this article too.